Gallan Return II: Starting Again
by CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88
Summary: Sequal to Gallan Return: Leaving It All Behind. This is part 2 of the Gallan Return trilogy. Read part 1 before reading this. DN
1. Sir Edwin

A/N: Hey everyone! I know that long doesn't even begin to describe the amount of time it has taken me to get back to this story and believe me I am truly sorry! For those of you who are reading Broken and read my most recent author's note, you probably know some of my reasons for the lack of updates. Again, I can't apologize enough! 

Anyway I'm excited to have started part 2 in the Gallan Return series. I don't know for sure how long this particular story will be or how many more there will be to follow. All I know is the exact events that will take place for the story line. I have several original characters that will be playing major roles in this story, so I hope you enjoy that too.

Disclaimer: I had wanted to put something witty or funny here, but for once I really can't think of anything, so all I'll say is that I don't own anything you recognize from the Tamora Pierce books…sigh boring, I know…lol

Tiny flakes of snow began falling around the company of Gallans as they pushed forward on their journey back to their homeland. It fell onto the long branches of tall coniferous trees that covered the forest through which the small party traveled. It covered the forest floor with white like a blanket, leaving a clear trail with every step the travelers took. The air smelled richly of pine and fresh snow; the scent of Gallan winter.

There was a soft crunch as the party of knights and nobles padded on horseback through the dense Gallan forest. The forest path was small, only allowing three men on astride their horses to ride side by side at a time. At the front of the part of travelers rode a large man atop a surly black war horse. He sat proudly in his saddle, chest puffed out in strict authority. His long, raven black hair flowed awkwardly down his neck to rest on his broad shoulders. His eyes were dark, as dark as still hot coals from a fire. He donned what was obvious, even to the untrained eye, high quality armor. The armor had been crafted into intricate designs and was burned to a deep black that complimented his physical appearance and stern demeanor.

The knight was known by his men and all of Galla as Sir Donovan of Bertram. He was feared by all of those below him in rank, and even his few superiors considered him with suspicion. In Galla, he was favored by the king, Jarlath of Jerkins. He had reigned many years as the King's Champion, the most envied and sought after rank that a warrior in the king's army could receive. It was certain that so long as he was alive, none would ever be able to take his title. Being the confidant and proud man that he was, he was not against these rumors.

Behind the King's Champion rode a much smaller man astride a small gray mare. This man served as a herald in the king's court and on this journey, his purpose was to bear the flag of Galla and announce the company's arrival wherever they ventured. None of the men in the delegation knew more of him than his first name, and even then many managed to forget that. To most, he was only known as Herald, his title. He was not a noble such as the rest that surrounded him. He rode amongst knights and noblemen, but he himself was nothing more than one of the king's many servants. It was no more than pure luck, or what some would consider misfortune that he rode among these well-bred men this day.

After the herald rode the handful of knights that King Jarlath had commissioned to accompany his Champion on this expedition to retrieve the wildmage. They had been sent for both protection and show. Though the delegation had been unchallenged since leaving Galla nearly a month previously, it was no secret that bandits lurked everywhere in the Gallan woods waiting to come upon weary bands of travelers to rob of their valuables. If the bandits or any of the other riff raff that made the woods its home dared to bring trouble upon the king's delegation, these knights would discourage it. They were each seasoned warriors, all having seen their days in war. They were not ones to be fooled with.

At the back of the party rode two who seemed to be unlike the rest. One was a young man no more than twenty-five years of age atop a sorrel gelding. Like the rest, he too was a knight of the Gallan Realm. He was far younger than the other knights sent along, though he had seen his share of battles. He was a scout for the king's army, going wherever ordered. He would ride ahead of whatever infantry he rode with to be certain of what was ahead. He knew the Gallan terrain well, perhaps better than any other nobleman. He was small for a man, tall and lean. He had a handsome face, and when he cared to show it, a boyish smile. His hair was a cornflower blonde, flowing rhythmically with the chill wind that blew lightly through the trees. His eyes were a forest green, marking his passion for being in the woods, lost in the sea of green. The rest of the knights on the delegation were not particularly fond of the young man, most of them against him because of his success in their field at such a young age. They also envied his skill as a scout and a tracker. He was not noble in the typical sense of the word. Though noble blood flowed thickly through his veins on both his father's and his mother's side, he did not act as most nobles did.

That was how Edwin of Carmel had befriended the companion he had riding beside him. The young woman to his right was one who at first glance, one could never associate with the delegation she now rode with. Everything about her utterly contrasted the group of men that surrounded her. She was not dressed lavishly to please the eye, nor did she sit as high as her saddle would permit her with her chest puffed out in self pride and arrogance. She was not noble born. Even if she was entirely familiar with her line of ancestors, she would know that there had never been a noble amongst them. She was a mere common born country girl; a fatherless bastard. Well, perhaps in the recent months that last detail had become untrue, but for most of her life it had been a terrible truth she was forced to face daily. She sported not the lavish silks and satins and precious jewels that the others, even the soldiers, wore. Instead, she was dressed in plain working breeches, a thing unheard of to any Gallan woman who knew what was well and proper, and a white cotton shirt. But this was perhaps what had attracted Edwin of Carmel to speak to her, to befriend her.

Veralidaine Sarrasri, Daine as Edwin had come to know her these past weeks of travel, had not spoken a word to any of her traveling companions through the first week of their journey. Her silence had caught the attention of a few of the more compassionate knights, but for the most part, none could begin to care about what they had come to think of as a worthless brat. Edwin though, was intrigued by her presence. She was unlike any young woman he had ever come across, and as a wealthy young bachelor with a large estate, he came across a good many. He spent the first week watching her, studying her every movement. Being a scout, having a good eye was a necessity. He did not miss anything that she did, but still she was a mystery to him. His curiosity over her soon clouded his mind. Few people ever crossed his path that he could not read like a book within a few meetings. But this young wildmage, she was a mystery to him. A mystery that he intended to uncover before this journey's end.

It was this train of thought that had spurred Edwin to approach her that night nearly two weeks ago. She sat at the edge of camp outside her personal tent. As the only lady on the delegation, she was not forced to share a tent with any of the others. She sat now on a log beside a small fire that she had built on her own. Edwin had seen one of the other men offer to build her a fire earlier that evening, but as she always did, she refused him. Every night since they had left Corus, she had insisted upon pitching her own tent and building her own fire. She even tended to her own horse. Edwin was unsure of how things were done in Tortall, but in Galla, women were not fond of handling their own affairs. Galla was ruled and defended by men. But this Daine, she showed signs of being more than able to handle her own and he would wager that she had her value in wartime.

"You don't care much for talking, do you Milady?" Edwin called out to her as he approached. His tone was a friendly one, for he hoped to extend his friendship to her if nothing else. "Or is it that you can't?" His statement was playful; offering her kindness that none of the other men on the delegation had bothered to show her. Surely she had grown lonesome since leaving the only home she had known since she was a young girl. Edwin felt certain that she would accept his advances with open arms.

But as she always did, she surprised him, defying his expectations. She raised her head from where it slumped, atop her shoulders. Her blue gray eyes that had previously been fixed on the flickering flames of the campfire now leisurely slid up to meet his. They traveled over his lean form, as if sizing him up and storing his appearance in her memory. She kept her stormy eyes locked with his for several moments before once again turning back to the fire as if she had not a care in the world. She did not speak a word to him, further baffling him. How could it be that after being silent for nearly a week, she turned down the first attempt anyone had made to befriend her?

"Come on now, you can't stay silent forever, you know," Edwin pressed on, unwilling to give in to her stubbornness. He would not allow this mystery to elude him forever. When she would not even acknowledge his continued presence or his words, he began moving slowly towards where she sat. He soon stood inches from her still form, and yet she did not move a fraction. Taking her stubborn silence as an invitation to press onward, Edwin moved in the rest of the distance and took the empty place beside her on the long before the fire. He let his forest green orbs follow her gaze to the swirling fury of flames that made the campfire, wondering what it could be that kept her so transfixed on the campfire. "I'm Edwin of Carmel," he voiced at last after moments of sitting beside her in silence. He had expected her to rise from where she sat as soon as he took his place beside her and hide herself away in her tent for what remained of the night. The rest of the men had already turned in.

"You could speak to me. It wouldn't hurt at all, I assure you Milady," Edwin continued, still wanting to uncover the mystery that surrounded this beautiful young woman. "I won't bite."

"What is it you want?" Finally, she had spoken. He had almost begun to succumb to his fears that she never would. He let a small smile play on his lips, his green eyes twinkling as the firelight danced on his face.

"I only wanted to meet you, Milady," Edwin offered politely, not wanting to waste this new chance that was suddenly thrust before him. If she suddenly went back to her silence, he might not get the chance again as they neared the Gallan capital. "You've not said a word to anyone and I wanted to offer you my friendship. You seem lonely." He held out a hand to her as proof of his offer. She gazed back at him blankly, looking down at his offered hand with what appeared to be disbelief.

"Well I'm not lonely and I didn't ask for your interest." she snapped at him, her sudden change of demeanor revealing to him that she did indeed have something to be bitter about. He pitied her then. Edwin had almost expected her to continue snapping at him, perhaps add more to her attempt at insulting him, but she did not. She once again turned to the fire, adverting her attention from him.

"I know that you didn't, Lady Veralidaine, but I wish to offer it anyway," Edwin still would not give up. He had come too close to turn back now. Again he pressed forward hoping to break down some of the many walls that surrounded her. "I understand what you must think of me. You must think that I'm just another man amongst these brutes that is stealing you from your home. You'll find that I'm not, Milady. If it were up to me, we would not be having this conversation right now because I would not have sent a delegation to fetch you from Tortall. I would have let you alone as Jarlath should have. Now you can continue to sit here alone every night and refuse to speak to me or anyone else, or you can accept my company because I swear to you that I mean you no harm."

"Most folk call me Daine," she said after a few moments, still not turning to meet his gaze. She did not move a muscle away from the fire, but at least she was acknowledging him once more, he thought to himself. Her tone was somewhat lighter this time, and if he was not mistaken, he could swear he could see the tiniest of smiles playing at her lips. He knew then just from that shadow of a grin, that tiny fragment of how she displayed happiness, that she was indeed the type of woman he had thought her to be and hoped that she was. He was certain that had he met her under any other circumstances, they would have liked each other very much. She did not seem to be rude by nature or character.

"Pardon?" Edwin asked, hoping that by feigning confusion, he could spur her into saying more. Slowly, he was chipping away at her walls.

"Back home, in Tortall…."she continued, suddenly making somewhat of an effort to take up his offer to befriend her. "Most folk there call me Daine."

"But why not Veralidaine? It's such a beautiful name. I can't say I've ever heard it before," Edwin ventured, complimenting her. He could hardly believe that mere moments ago she had refused to speak a single word to him. "And surely they call you Lady in Tortall. You dine amongst nobles." Edwin found it odd that she, one who had been taken in by the highest of Tortallan nobles could be so common in behavior. It was as if she lived among peasants, who in his opinion were more interesting than noblemen and women of the court anyway. He came across a good few peasants as a scout, and had several that were his dear friends.

"Veralidaine is such a mouthful and I've never really liked it anyway," Daine explained, that shadow of a smile once again gracing her face

"Daine it is, then." Edwin flashed a grin at her, hoping to lighten the air further. He found himself speechless. He was amazed that she had finally allowed him to get through her walls, if only this little bit. Slowly though, she was beginning to open up and he hoped that she would continue. Her company would be a breath of fresh air amongst all of these stuffy noblemen. "You didn't answer my other question, though. Do they not address you as Lady in Tortall?"

Her head snapped up immediately in his direction. She looked almost surprised by his statement. "Oh, I'm no lady," she voiced shyly, almost flustered that he had mentioned it. " I'm fair certain that if I'd allow it, Thayet would have already given me the title of Duchess, but I won't hear of it. I'm common born and I like things that way."

"Thayet? You mean Tortall's queen? You speak of her so casually…." Edwin was both amused and astounded at her casual mention of the queen. It was almost as if she spoke of a dear friend that she saw everyday.

"Oh, I'd forgotten how formal everything is in Galla," Daine explained quickly, a look of nostalgia washing over her pale face. Sparks went flying up from the nearby fire as a log split at its base, causing it to collapse. Edwin moved his leg forward, kicking the log back into the fire pit with his boot. "In Tortall, formality is much more relaxed. Thayet was one of my dearest friends in Tortall. I'll miss her."

He was at a lack of words. He could not imagine what she must be going through just now as she had just been stripped away from the home she loved. She was probably still clinging to the hope that this was all just some terrible nightmare that she would soon wake from. Perhaps she thought that the king would change his mind and return her. He hated to crush any hopes she might have, but he knew that Jarlath would never change his mind. To him, she was a valuable pawn and he would not let the Tortallan king have control of her once again.

Gazing past the fire and into the night sky, Edwin felt satisfied that he had finally broken her vow of silence. He had enjoyed himself immensely for if he was honest with himself, he knew that he too had been lonely. She was not the only one that the other avoided like the plague. He did not long for their company in any case. He found them to be distasteful brutes. Every one of them was a cruel man, one who had taken the lives of countless innocents in their time. No, he did not care to associate with them and he was glad that he had found a companion who agreed.

"It's been wonderful talking to you, Daine, but the both of us ought to be resting now. We shall be up with the sun tomorrow and the night is nearly gone." Edwin said, turning his body around to face hers. She faced him now and he gazed deeply into her blue gray orbs. In them he saw dreams and fantasies of far away places and a keen sense of adventure. He saw sadness and longing such that he had never seen before. He did not question now that she had given her heart to someone. It would explain a lot of things that he had noticed about her reserved nature and it made him feel even worse about her predicament and the circumstances under which they had been forced to meet.

"Thank you, Edwin," Daine replied, forcing a small smile for him. His heart beat in excitement at making her smile. He hoped that such a beautiful occurrence would grace her face often, for it was a sight to see.

"Whatever for?" he questioned, seeing no reason for her to be grateful to him. He was after all amongst those who had stolen her from her home, whether he cared to acknowledge that or not. A grin spread across his boyish features as a light chuckle erupted from deep within his throat.

"For your kindness. I needed it." And with that, she rose up from the log, stretching out her legs and gazing down at where he still sat. She flashed a sad smile his way once more before turning to walk away. He watched in silence as she lifted her tent flap and disappeared inside. He waited a long while before rising himself to venture off to his tent, staring at the dancing flames. He was glad that he had spoken to the fair wildmage this night. It had proven to be another mystery solved, one that he was rather fond of. He was sure that they would become as good of friends as it was possible to be under the circumstances these next few weeks it would take them to reach Galla. With that thought in mind, he lifted his body up from the log and walked off to his own tent, his boots crunching audibly against the snow covered ground.

A/N: Well, what did you guys think? I'm REALLY nervous about posting this because of how long it's been. Again, I can't apologize enough for that. It feels really good to be writing again and I'm excited to continue with this story. Hopefully I'll add the last chapter to Wolfish Desires soon too. Please, feedback on this chapter would be immensely appreciated! Don't forget to review! I'll try to add more to this soon if you guys like it. I need to get back into the hang of updating.


	2. Daine's Hope

A/N: Hey everyone! Surprised I'm actually updating? Me too, actually….lol. I do plan to make a habit of it over the summer, but I might not be able to much between now and then because of how busy I've been. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm very upset about the new restriction the site put up about songfics. That really spoils a lot of things for me, and I KNOW I'm not the only one. Practically every writer I know has done at least one songfic in their time, most of them more than that. I just can't imagine the site without them. With that in mind, I'd like to ask everyone that's reading this to try emailing the site individually. Even if you don't like songfics, you will be affected by this new rule if they really do delete all of the accounts they are threatening to delete. For anyone who does decide to email the site, I am forever grateful. You can get the email link by clicking on that little drop down page at the top of the page that's labeled 'menu'. From there, just click FAQ/Help and scroll down until you see a list of email links. I used the first one, but do as you see fit. I think that if a lot of us email them politely and state our concerns with the new rule, we've got a chance of getting it lifted. 

Disclaimer: I don't own it, I've never claimed to and I have no intention of claiming to own it in the future….I really find this little formality pointless…..

It was still early morning, just before dawn as Daine lay in her tent wide awake. She had not slept well the previous night, something that had become somewhat of a habit since leaving Tortall. She found sleep to be such a luxury these past few weeks she had spent traveling and it had begun to take a toll on her.

She lay now atop her layers of blankets in her makeshift bed, hidden away behind the flaps and folds of her tent. In here, she could lock herself away from the gawking eyes and constant snickering of the Gallans who had come to accompany her from Tortall. Though they were sworn knights of the realm and a handful of them only squires, she found none of them to be honorable men. Even a few of them bordered on disgusting, to her great disappointment. She had at least hoped that if she had to leave her home behind, the least the gods could do was grant her passage with a decent part of people. These men she now traveled with were nothing like the Queen's Own and the Tortallan Riders that she had once ridden with.

If Daine were to say that there was not a single man in the Gallan delegation that was honorable, she would only be fooling herself. She did know of one, only a single man amongst them who was decent and kind. She had only bothered to meet him nearly a week ago, and she had slept soundly that night, relieved at having found friendly company. His name was Sir Edwin of Carmel. He was no more than twenty five years of age with long flowing blonde locks of hair and soft forest green eyes. He had told her when they had first spoken that he was a scout of the King's Guard and a well known one at that. He had bragged that he knew the wilderness of Galla far better perhaps than any other man. From what she had seen of him these past few days, she had little room to doubt his skill and his word.

But as she lay flat on the ground atop her layers of blankets now, her thoughts were not on Edwin of Carmel, nor were they on any of the others in the Gallan Delegation. Rather, her mind was bent on a small piece of folded parchment that sat beside where she lay. The parchment was wrinkled and worn and had even managed to get a tear in its upper corner. Daine had pulled it out from within her trunk on many occasions since leaving Tortall, for it alone seemed to give her the tiniest ray of hope. She had acquired the tiny bit of parchment on her last day in the home she loved. It had been given to her just before she left by Alanna. Alanna had given it to her saying only that it was a message from George, the lady knight's husband. George had been unable to see Daine off that day to offer her his goodbyes and though it had pained her, she assumed that the note Alanna had given her that day was nothing more than his best wishes to her.

As soon as Daine had bothered to unfold the piece of parchment though, she knew that it was more than just George's simple goodbyes. He had offered her something much more than that, and she had a feeling that she would be forever grateful to the baron for that gesture.

Lying now on her makeshift bed, Daine reached over beside the tiny candle lamp that lit the enclosed space of her tent and lifted up the note with gentle fingers. She held it in the light and unfolded it carefully, not wanting to damage it. Again she let her eyes fall over the words that were hastily scrawled onto its surface, wondering how they could help her, but all the while knowing that the baron had given her his word that they would. It gave her his apologies for being unable to see her off at the palace and his hopes that she would write both him and Lady Alanna as soon as she reached the Gallan capital. More importantly though, the letter told her of a man George requested she seek out upon arriving in Galla. He said that the man had at one time been his dear friend, and a good man at that. He said that this man would be sure to look after her, as George had already taken the liberty of writing him and telling him to do so. George had insisted in the letter that if she found the man, she would feel more at home in the strange place she would find herself in. He mentioned also that the man he wanted her to find was currently involved in a sort of business that George was certain would catch Daine's interests. George had not offered her more than that brief description of the man and that list of reasons to devote her time to finding him. Aside from that, he had left only a name; Thorvald Cutler.

Daine was still mystified at the letter, wondering what it was this man George spoke of could do for her. George had acted as though it was direly important that she find him, and for that she would try, but she still did not know why George had requested it. He had said in the letter that it would be to her benefit, but she could not see what this one man could do for her now. She was returning to a country that she had once fled and behind her she left the man she wanted so desperately to spend the rest of her life with. What could finding this one man do to change any of that? Daine could not begin to guess George's intentions, but because he had been one of her dearest friends in Tortall, she would try.

Her only question now was how she could possibly find this Thorvald Cutler. All George had given her was his name. Galla was a large country with countless towns and villages. This man could be from any one of them. How could she ever expect to find him when all she had was his name? She imagined it would be a lot like finding a needle in a haystack. With only a name, she knew that the chances of her finding this Thorvald Cutler were very small. She would need to first find someone who knew many people in Galla, for then there would be the slightest chance that that person would know where she could find Thorvald Cutler. She had not the faintest idea who she could ask about it though. Surely not Donovan or any of the other knights and squires that made up the Gallan delegation. Even if any of them did know who Thorvald Cutler was, the chances of them relaying this information to her was slim as they had already made their distaste of her clear.

And then she remembered Edwin. He was an experienced scout for the King's Guard. He spent his days traveling all over Galla, enough so that he could brag about knowing every inch of the land. He had also mentioned his interest in talking to the people of all the villages he passed through and how many of his dearest friends in Galla were not of noble blood. If anyone that she felt comfortable enough to ask knew who Thorvald Cutler was and where she could find him, Edwin would. Daine made up her mind then that she would ask him today, right now in fact as she knew he rose with the sun.

Peeking through the flap of her tent, Daine could see the sun beginning to rise over the horizon and she knew that Edwin would be awake by now. He always seemed to wake hours earlier than even she did. The rest of the camp would not rise for at least another hour.

Moving to her trunk of clothes, Daine quickly pulled out a pair of tan riding breeches and a loose, white work shirt. She then hastily pulled her cotton nightdress over her head, wriggling out of its confines. She dressed quickly, then moving over to the tin water basin that sat beside her trunk of possessions and splashing the cool water onto her face, washing the sleep from her eyes.

Daine cold feel the cold, wandering eyes of the few men that had drawn last watch the night before. They had risen early, even before the sun had shown its first rays to relieve the last shift of guards that watched over the camp at night. There were three in all, Daine sensed, though she did not bother to shift her position to look. She just continued to walk briskly to Edwin's tent, all the while wishing that the guards would turn away and spare her their stares. It seemed that all any of the other knights aside from Edwin did was stare and gawk at her. She was not frightened by this, but half of the time she could feel them undressing her with their eyes and that bothered her immensely. The knights that she had known in Tortall had been of a much more decent sort. Daine supposed that not all Gallan knights were like these, but perhaps she had just ended up meeting some of the bad sort first. She hoped not all of the noblemen and knights were of this sort anyway, though only time would tell her that.

Finally reaching Edwin's tent after what had felt like an eternity under the stares of the guards, Daine reached for the tent flap, but let it slide from her grasp when she heard the hardly stifled snorts and whistles from the group of men by the fire. Gods, couldn't they just leave her be? They were supposed to be noblemen, knights sworn to the code of chivalry, yet from what Daine could see, most of these men could hardly be distinguished from pigs.

"Edwin," Daine called as she pulled back the canvas tent flap and ducked her head to step through the door. She found that he was indeed already awake as she had expected. He sat in the center of his tent, legs crossed in front of him as he knelt down on a small travel worn rug. Daine noticed that he had not yet strapped himself up in his armor, and she had to admit that it was the first time on this entire journey to the Gallan capital that she had seen him without it. He donned only a pair of worn brown breeches and a loose fitted white shirt with fancy flaps and frills of white cloth at the cuffs. In his right hand he held a tight grip on his broad sword and in the other hand he held a flint as he sat sharpening his sword.

"Good morning, Milady," Edwin said cheerfully, pausing briefly from his work to look up at her. Daine noticed that all of his armor lay scattered in various places around his tent, freshly polished and shined from the looks of it, though it was hard to tell in the dim candle light that lit the room. As soon as Edwin's formal greeting registered in Daine's mind, flashed him a quick frown, which quickly faded into an amused smirk. "Fine then, good morning, Daine, if that's what suits you." Edwin corrected himself, placing firm emphasis on her name as he spoke. She could not help but emit a small giggle at this.

"What is all this for?" Daine questioned eyeing the armor scattered about the tent with curiosity. From what she had known of the young knight thus far, he had proven to be a very tidy person and one who had distaste for any sort of disorder.

"Ah, I see he hasn't bothered telling you…." Edwin commented, not lifting his eyes from where he had busied himself sharpening his sword. After a moment, he set the flint down lightly at the dirt floor around his bare feet and then lifted the newly sharpened blade to slice ever so lightly across the tip of his pointer finger. Even from the lightest touch, the blade immediately drew blood. Satisfied with the tiny blot of red that had appeared at his finger tip, Edwin kicked the flint aside and then reached instead for a worn rag and a jar of polish to continue his work on his sword. "We reach the capital in little more than a day's time if the road conditions permit us," Edwin paused for a moment and looked up from where his hands were busily polishing the steel blade as if to gauge Daine's reaction. She nodded, as if beckoning him to continue. "By order of the king, there is to be a parade in celebration of your arrival as soon as we reach the city gates. By this time tomorrow the entire camp will be scurrying about preparing for it. I myself choose to start early and avoid the rush."

"I had no idea there would be any sort of celebration…" Daine said nervously, biting her lip lightly as she watched his quick work. "I don't care much for this sort of thing…." she commented, continuing to shift nervously where she stood before him.

"Nor do I, to be honest with you," Edwin admitted, still continuing with his work, "It's all a load of folly, if you ask me. If I were the king of any country, I would not waste the people's taxes on such useless things. Its all for show, really. Nothing more than a bunch of pompous nobles strutting around and showing off their wealth." Edwin explained as he worked, noticing briefly that Daine had moved to sit beside him.

"We knights are required to be in full battle dress with the lavish banners of our fiefs flying behind us. I hate it; it's nothing more than a pile of expensive silk and steel and it is without a doubt a burden to wear." He grinned lightly as he heard Daine giggle at his comments. Just in the short time he had known her, he had learned right away that she held a great distaste for any lavish occasions such as balls or feasts, and this dislike only increased when they were all about making a fuss over her.

As he explained the requirements of the parade, Daine's eyes fell upon a large, brightly colored shield that rested against the canvas wall of the tent near the back corner. It was a long, oval shape that curved into a point at the bottom. It was made of a thick, almost impenetrable steel that had been dyed by delicate crafter's work to display the lavish colors. In its center was a metallic silver oak tree, its massive branches extending nearly to the edges of the shield itself. It was surrounded by a deep black circle, separating it from the forest green color of the entire shield. This must be the coat of arms for the fief of Carmel, Daine thought as she stared awestricken at the lavish shield. The forest green that occupied most of the shield was the same color as much of the clothing Daine had seen Edwin wearing these past few weeks spent traveling. She especially remembered the beautiful wool cloak she had seen him wear often enough that was the same color as the shield. The shield truly was a thing of beauty, she decided. She had not taken the time in Tortall to see the various shields the knights carried aside from the more rugged and well used ones they carried into battle. This shield, though it would no doubt be able to stand its own against oncoming attacks, had likely never seen a single day on the battlefields. It was one made strictly for show.

"Was there something you wanted, Daine? I have my doubts that you came only to talk about the parade," Edwin commented, seeing that throughout all of this Daine had seemed to have something on her mind. She had seemed to fidget openly throughout the entire time he had been speaking.

"Actually, there was," Daine replied, trying to think quickly of the best way to state her mind to him. She waited a moment until he looked up from his work and let his forest green eyes fall upon her, meeting her own blue gray orbs. "Before I left Tortall, a dear friend of mine asked that I find a friend of his that lives in Galla. He said that that friend would be able to help me," Daine explained, all the while struggling to keep eye contact with the young knight who had come to be her friend, hoping that he would understand and be able to help her. She thought that he might need further explanation, "You told me once that you knew many people in Galla because of your rank as the King's Head Scout. I thought perhaps you might know where I could find this man…"

Edwin nodded, briefly breaking eye contact from her and looking to the ceiling as if deep in thought. He looked thoughtful for a moment before turning back to face her and nodding, "What's this man's name? With luck, I might know him."

"Thorvald Cutler." Daine replied, her heart racing with the hope that Edwin might be able to help her. She did not know what excited her so about possibly being able to find this man. What could be so important about him that George would send her to find him? And how could this man possibly help her? It felt almost as if the gods themselves were urging her on in this matter, and that was perhaps what puzzled Daine about it all the most. Was it written in the stars that she was to meet this man? Was it part of the great gods' plans? In the back of her mind, Daine dreaded that the gods had once again chosen her to be the head of another plot of mischief. If there had been danger for her in Carthak, there would be equal danger for her here in Galla. She hoped that she was not to play errand runner for the gods once more, but in her heart, Daine could not help but think that perhaps this was part of her destiny. Perhaps the gods would call on her again.

Daine jumped as an audible clank filled the air. Edwin's sword had slipped from his grasp, clattering to the dirt floor as his hands stilled in shock at what Daine had said. "Thorvald Cutler?" he asked, voice rushed from surprise. Daine's confusion had multiplied by Edwin's sudden change of attitude. "Are you certain that is who you're looking for?"

Almost afraid to continue with this conversation, Daine nodded, confirming her answer by speaking, "Yes, that's the name. I'm certain of it…" Daine pressed, as if trying to convince herself that she had not made some kind of mistake. The mystery surrounding this man had grown to new heights in her mind and the curiosity she had felt since reading George's letter continued to bite at her very being.

At her response, Edwin emitted a light chuckle, his face contorting into an amused smile. Daine could not begin to think of what could possibly be so funny after he had shown such shock at Daine's questioning only moments before. "And what friend was this that asked you to find this man, Daine?" Edwin asked, a knowing grin plastered on his boyish face. He seemed all too amused about all of this for Daine's liking.

Daine hesitate for a moment, not knowing if she should trust him with the answer. What if there was something wrong with knowing? She would hate to send any sort of trouble to George. Mentally sighing at her situation, Daine decided that she was too curious now to do anything but trust the young knight. At this point, she could not leave Edwin's tent without having solved the mystery of Thorvald Cutler, the name that had been repeated countless times in her mind these past weeks as she mulled over George's letter. "Baron George of Pirates Swoop, the King's spy," Daine answered, praying to the gods that she had not made the wrong decision in trusting Edwin.

At this, Edwin began chuckling again, caught in helpless laughter. Daine glared at him in annoyance, wondering why he was not taking this seriously. "Ah, yes, well now that would explain things," Edwin commented, his eyes dancing with laughter. He continued to smile at Daine with amusement, briefly shaking his head. "Baron George was once the Tortallan King of Thieves, the most wanted man in all of Tortall," Edwin stated, merely reciting old information to Daine. She had known for a very long time now about George's past. Whenever she had visited the Swoop, she had always enjoyed sitting in his study sipping spiced wine and listening to all of his many tales about his past as a rogue. "That is more than likely how he came to know Thorvald Cutler. I should hope that was how he knew him at least, for it would not look good on his part if it was known that a well respected nobleman such as he consorted with such a man as Cutler."

Daine listened, puzzled by what Edwin was saying. She had not expected this sort of thing to come by her asking about Thorvald Cutler. If she was honest with herself, she would admit that she had not even expected Edwin to know the name at all or at most he would know in general where she might find him.

Edwin sighed, still amused at Daine's request. He was certain that she had not known what she was asking of him, but just to be sure, he would have to probe her further, after she knew the truth of it. There was a chance that she may know where to find one of Galla's most feared and dangerous criminals, and if she did he wanted to find out. His full lips twisting into a grim shadow of a smile, he reached a gloved hand up to stroke the rough stubbled skin of his face. "Let me show you who Thorvald Cutler is," Edwin stated, not yet looking up from where his eyes looked dazedly at the dirt floor of his tent. Looking up briefly to meet her eyes, he rose from where he had sat and moved lazily to the other side of his tent where he had thrown his saddle bags the night before. Sifting through several packs that he kept strapped onto his mount, he lifted a small, flat case made of soft, untextured black leather. At its center, the coat of arms of Carmel had been stamped.

He turned back to Daine, making his way back to her with the leather folder in hand. It was meant for carrying papers and letters without wrinkling or damaging them. When he reached her again, he silently undid the brass fastening on the folder's cover and opened it to reveal a stack of various pamphlets and letters he had collected throughout the years. He fumbled quickly through them, knowing by heart and by touch exactly what each was, for he had spent many a night studying them. They were lists and descriptions of various criminals and renegades that cursed Galla. It was his intention to one day bring each and every one of them to the king's justice.

Finally finding the one in particular that he sought, he lifted it out of the folder and into the dim morning sunlight that was beginning to flow through the flap of his tent. He offered the paper to Daine, extending an arm out so that she could reach it. He watched her as her fingers brushed over his, taking the piece of parchment in her hands. He could see her hands were shaking ever so lightly; almost unnoticeably. That at least was a sign that she had no part in this, and that made Edwin glad. He hated to think that such a beautiful and good natured young woman such as Daine would have any sort of connection to the likes of Thorvald Cutler.

Daine took the parchment Edwin offered her into her hands, lifting it up into the light so that she could read it. At the top of the paper the words 'Wanted by order of the King Jarlath of Jerkins Galla' and then proceeded to list the rest of Jarlath's other formal titles. As she read on, Daine found a seemingly never ending list of crimes that Thorvald Cutler was charged with committing. The king was offering immediate knighthood and choice lands and wealth to anyone who brought him Cutler, dead or alive. Anyone who could give any information about Cutler's whereabouts or plans would receive great wealth. Daine could not believe what she was reading. How could it be that the one man George had said could help her was a dangerous Gallan criminal? Daine sincerely hoped that George had no idea of this, though she doubted that the clever one-time rogue could ever be in the dark about someone that had once been his friend. No, Daine was certain that George had his reasons. There had to be more to this Thorvald Cutler. Her search could not end here. "He's……a criminal…."

"A treasonous one, at that," Edwin added, watching intently for her reaction to it all. She seemed slightly shocked, disappointed at most. There was an air of confusion about her, but to his dismay, also an undeniable sense of curiosity. He knew now that it was his duty as a knight and as her friend to convince her otherwise. She could not go looking for this man; he could not let her. "Over the years he's managed to elude us, he's rallied up well over half of the peasants, and even a good number of nobles. I might even wager that he's got nearly all of the peasants on his side, following this folly that he fills their heads with. He has them all convinced that King Jarlath is unfit for the throne and that they must all bid their time until they can destroy his line and start their own. They plot to murder the king and his son, Aidan. Its treason, plain and simple. The fool even allows all of his followers to call him Majesty. He's even got an heir, a young man that he intends to take over this treasonous gathering in the event of his death. Its madness."

"He's a rebel, then?" Daine questioned, hardly able to believe what she was discovering about this man. The confusion about why George would lead her to him still lingered.

"Yes, and of the worst kind. He's not just a rebel, Daine, he leads rebels," Edwin explained, thoroughly vexed at the mere thought of the spineless Rogue King, as the people called him, "Him and his lot are always robbing the King and His Majesty's wealthy loyals. Not to mention the countless amount of gold it costs every year to replace all of the supplies the man plunders by sending his men out to hold up our supply carts. We've doubled and tripled the guard on each one as it travels, but still his men manage to overcome the guards and take what they please. They've got no sense of honor, these rebels."

"If he was such a bad man, why would George have told me to find him?" Daine questioned, still not entirely sure that Edwin was right about Thorvald Cutler. She had known George for the better part of four years and in the time she had known him, he had proven to be a very honest man to his friends. She could not imagine that George would intentionally send her on the trail of a dangerous criminal unless there was something to it that she was not seeing.

"I haven't the slightest idea, Daine," Edwin stated, still angered about the subject under discussion. He had had more than his fair share of trouble with the Rogue King in his time as a knight and this never spurred kind thoughts about the man.

"Are you certain there isn't some other man with that name?" Daine asked hopefully, mentally exhausted from once again having her hopes burned to ash. Would the gods ever remember her and all that she had done for them? It did not look as if they even cared anymore.

"No man would be fool enough to bear that name, I'm sure of it," Edwin assured her, not breaking eye contact with her. She could feel his forest green eyes bearing down upon her as if willing her to believe everything that he had told her. She sensed that this matter was personal to him in some way and she would have to remind herself to ask him about it later. She wondered if this Thorvald Cutler had ever crossed paths with Edwin and what had been the result of it all. "No, they would fear being arrested for being the real thing. I assure you, no matter how far you look, you'll not find another man in Galla by that name."

The disappointment that danced in the depths of Daine's blue gray orbs was not easily missed. Edwin knew that the chance of finding Thorvald Cutler, for reasons that were beyond him, might very well have been the last shred of hope that Daine clung to. It was obvious to him that she wanted nothing more than to be back in her true home, Tortall, with the black robe mage she had mentioned to him on the many nights they had spent star gazing on this journey. It was a cruel thing that was happening to her. It was nothing more than politics, but it sickened Edwin to think that this form of politics dealt with the life of an innocent human being. He felt bad that he might very well have destroyed the hope that remained with Veralidaine Sarrasri, but it had been a vital act. He could not let her remain ignorant on the subject of the vastly growing group of Gallan rebels. It was too dangerous. He counted himself lucky that she had decided to come to him about Thorvald Cutler at all. If she had not, then he was certain that upon reaching the capital, she would seek out the man. The gods only knew what might happen if she were to find him. Edwin shuddered at the mere thought of it.

"Daine, you have to understand what you're dealing with here," Edwin said finally, knowing that he had to be certain that Daine would not go looking for Cutler. "Thorvald Cutler is without a doubt the most dangerous man alive in Galla. You cannot under any circumstances seek him out. Even if you were to find him, there's no telling what might happen to you. There is no doubt in my mind that he would be more than happy to take captive the new Gallan Wildmage."

Looking back at the young knight, Daine knew deep in her heart that Edwin was right. He was only trying to look out for her, and she was certain that he knew, probably from experience, exactly what he was talking about. But he did not understand; he could not understand her need to do as George had advised her. Throughout this entire journey that was rapidly coming to an end, Daine had only had one thing left to hold on to and that had been George's advice. It had given her the tinniest ray of hope in her world of doubt, but it had been just enough to give her the energy to rise every morning and continue riding closer and closer to her undesirable, yet inevitable fate in Galla.

She had spent countless hours on this journey thinking only of the note that George had given her. She could not begin to count the times that a phantom voice in her mind had repeatedly chanted Thorvald Cutler's name in her mind. Daine had spent so much time pouring over just how she could find this man in her mind that she could not begin to grasp the idea that she could never actually do it. She could not allow herself to believe that Thorvald Cutler was a dangerous criminal that would happily see harm come to her. Most of all though, Daine could hardly bear to let it cross her mind that that tiny shred of hope that she had held on tightly to this entire time no longer existed.

"Daine, are you listening?" Edwin's voice pulled Daine awkwardly from her thoughts. She had almost forgotten that he was still there. She looked to him, and remembered his warning to her about Thorvald. Knowing that he could never know of her plans to find the rebel leader, she simply nodded, flashing him a brief smile of assurance. "I understand…." Daine responded softly, her eyes darting quickly away from Edwin's. She did not want to look her newly acquired friend in the eye as she lied to him. Plastering the most sincere look on her face that she could manage and choosing the most believable tone she could muster, Daine added, "Don't worry about me, Edwin. I won't go looking for him." Daine felt her face burn as she directly lied, but in her heart, she knew it was necessary. Sir Edwin of the fief Carmel could never know her true intents.

A/N: Well, I'm sorry for the lack of events in these first 2 chapters, but I'm really trying to set the ground work here. I had planned on adding a few more things to this chapter that would have made it more exciting, but I decided to cut it off for the sake of being able to post tonight. I'll hopefully be able to post again soon. I think I'll start making my chapters shorter just so I can get more posted in less time. Also, the time period in between each chapter is going to start increasing, which means a lot more things are going to start happening, so I hope all of you stay tuned for that. Please don't give up one me! I'm really trying to get my act together with this….Anyway, I'd love to see some feedback from you guys, so please review! Its your reviews that inspire me to start writing the next chapter….


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